Home
by lukadarkwater
Summary: After returning from the Mushroom Enclave, Zoey has found the welcome to be much friendlier than she had imagined but there is still one thing that hasn't returned to normal. Zoethian


Zoey stood outside the door of the bedroom, fist raised, struggling to gather her courage and knock. When she had left Blackrock for the mushrooms, she had never thought that she would be returning here, to this room especially. She had thought that Rythian would never take her back after what she'd done and that was why she had stayed away in the first place. She had expected to come back to a heated glare and scathing questions, but when she had come up from the tunnels, he had smiled so widely and hugged her so tightly that she hadn't been able to breathe. Even now, a few days after coming back, she still couldn't believe it. It had been awkward, but not so awkward that she couldn't stand it. He had been so ready to forgive her for what she had done and she had missed him so much that the things which had drove them apart had simply vanished.

The only major change was that, since her return, she had been sleeping in the guest room. It was a strange experience sleeping in Blackrock and not sleeping in their room. It wasn't like Rythian had said she couldn't sleep in their room, but she had just been too shy to ask. They had been separated a long time and she didn't know how he would feel about it. Tonight, though, she needed him. Her nightmares were back and she knew the only thing that would allow her to sleep was on the other side of that door. So, with a deep breath, she reached up and knocked very quickly.

"Come in" she heard Rythian say

When she poked her head in, she saw he was sitting propped up by pillows on top of the covers on the bed, reading an old, battered book. He looked up as she edged through the doorway "Zoey," he said, sounding slightly surprised as he took off his glasses "What's the matter?"

"I had a nightmare," she said, avoiding his eyes" And I wanted to know if-um- if I could maybe sleep in here?"

He surprised her by chuckling "Of course you can. This is your bedroom too"

Relief swept though her and she smiled at him as she walked over to the bed.

He pulled back the covers on her side, and she fell onto the soft mattress with a sigh. She had missed this so much.

Rythian smiled down at her before picking up his glasses and returning to his book and soon his gentle breathing and quiet page turning began to lull Zoey to sleep.

Once her breathing had become deep and regular, Rythian once more looked down at the sleeping girl.

She was curled up on her side facing away from him, just like he remembered she used to do, and her red hair made a halo around her head on the pillow.

He reached out and stroked her hair softly, relishing the feeling that he had thought he had lost forever. After she had gone, he had conceded to the fact that he would never have a good night's sleep again. Now, however, she was here, beside him, just like old times. Her very presence made him feel more at ease then anything else in the world, and he grew sleepy as he sat watching her.

He leaned over and put out the light before laying the book aside and settling into his pillows.

He then, carefully so as not to wake her, edged closer to her and drew his arm around her blanket-covered form, snuggling against her.

The heat from her warm body transferred to his though the barrier of covers and he felt his own eyelids beginning to drop as he lay there. Just before falling asleep, he made sure to tuck his face against the bend of her neck so that her comforting scent would be all he smelled even as he slept.

As he did this, Zoey, who was not as asleep as he thought she was, smiled in the darkness and thought _"I'm home Ryth. I'm home"_

**_**Author's notes**_**

**_Whelp, I guess this is a thing that I do all the time now. Dem feels man, dem feels.  
_****_I just ship them really hard ok?_****_  
Anyway, big thanks to Midnight for editing again I had a lot of fluffy feels while writing this and I hope you have just as many while reading!_**


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